MARQUETTE – A Munising chiropractor was bound over to Alger County Circuit Court today on six counts of sexual assault.

George Conrad-Spencer Young, a 54-year-old former employee of the HealthQuest chiropractic clinic of Alger County, is charged with six counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, using force or coercion. Each count is punishable by up to two years in prison and a $500 fine.

On an archived version of the HealthQuest website from June 6, 2012, Young was listed as the clinic director.

During a preliminary hearing today, six alleged victims offered testimony in Alger County District Court, according to Alger County Prosecutor Karen Bahrman.

Defense Attorney Brandon Rickard said the accusations began “stacking up” after HealthQuest published an apology letter to patients in the Jan. 2 issue of The Munising News, following a previous incident involving Young. Young has not worked at the clinic since December, according to Rickard.

In December, Young entered a guilty plea to an assault and battery charge and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay $1,525 in fines, cost and restitution.

Rickard said HealthQuest published the letter with good intentions and said the company had nothing to do with the allegations against Young.

Today, Rickard said he had verified that five of the alleged victims were Young’s patients, and was awaiting verification on the sixth.

The alleged incidents, he said, were related to Young’s role as a chiropractor. Young was arraigned on one of the counts today, and was arraigned on the others earlier this month.

“Our position is that it didn’t happen and that any incidental touching was in the course of treatment and necessary,” Rickard said. “There was no intentional touching.”

Young, who was lodged in Schoolcraft County Jail prior to his preliminary appearance today, had his bond set at 10 percent of $5,000. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Alger County Circuit Court on Feb. 4.

Rickard said his client will waive his circuit court arraignment and that he plans to take the case to trial.